Aircraft Damaged in Hard Landing at Perris Airport

A pilot and his passenger were shaken but not seriously injured today in a hard landing at Perris Valley Airport that caused major damage to the twin-engine plane.

The mishap involving a de Havilland DHC-6 was reported about 3:50 p.m., according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

An agency spokeswoman said one of the two occupants was treated for minor injuries at the scene but declined to be transported to a hospital.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor told City News Service that the turboprop is no longer in flyable condition.

According to FAA records, the 40-year-old plane is based at Perris and under lease, possibly used by the skydiving school on-site.

The circumstances behind the hard landing were not immediately clear.